The top two sides in the Tyrrells Premier 15s both rumbled on in Round 8 as bonus-point wins maintained their perfect records.
Harlequins remain top of the pile with eight wins from eight and 40 points courtesy of a 39-19 victory away at Wasps – tries from Jess Breach, Heather Cowell, Anna Caplice, Leanne Riley, Sarah Beckett and Amy Cokayne doing the damage.
The match at Twyford Avenue saw a ferocious start but Quins broke the deadlock early on with prolific England speedster Breach getting over after just five minutes.
Wasps kicked a penalty in response but that only revved the away side up with Caplice and Riley firing back – Hannah West getting Wasps’ solitary try before the break.
With the lead at 17-13 at the interval the second half was all Quins - Beckett, a penalty try, Cokayne and Cowell all building the bonus-point result.
Harlequins host Saracens at the Stoop next Saturday in a mouth-watering fixture, with the north Londoners trouncing Darlington Mowden Park Sharks 69-12 to grab their eighth win.
Georgie Lingham registered a first-half hat-trick and skipper Lotte Clapp a double with Saracens up to 39 points.
Loughborough Lightning also won big, 50-26 at home to Worcester Warriors with doubles for Sarah Hunter, Jenny Maxwell and Rhona Lloyd – Lydia Thompson with two of her own for Worcester.
But it’s Gloucester-Hartpury who remain third with a half-century of their own, Susie Appleby’s side always had too much in the locker against a dogged Bristol Bears with full-time at 53-24.
Nine different scorers got on the board for Gloucester-Hartpury who led 31-10 at half-time, Bethan Lewis, Lleucu George, Zoe Aldcroft and Mo Hunt all dotting down in the second half.
Perhaps the biggest result of the day though came in the north west where Firwood Waterloo claimed their first win of the season with a hard-fought 20-10 victory over fellow strugglers Richmond.
Ellie Boatman’s Richmond opener was cancelled out by Laura Perrin for a 13-5 lead at the turnaround for Firwood, and after a series of second-half penalties Perrin completed her double to render Boatman’s late second a consolation.
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